Weaker than a Woman — page 81: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

aT a | ” : “Up 7 ns 79 WEAKER THAN A WOMAN. She enjoyed her father’s surprise when the horses stopped at the Limes, and she wondered what her mother meant when she said: “If I had a chance of keeping such a carriage as that I should not lightly throw it away.” - CHAPTER XIV. THE BALL-DRESS. It was a bright day in June, the lilies and roses were all in fiower, the laburnums were in the full perfection of their golden glory, and again the sun at noonday found ; pir Owen at the Limes. He had discovered Violet in the garden dreaming idly among the roses. It was a pictur esque, old-fashioned garden, with quaint-looking seats under the trees and a pretty arbor of trellis-work in the background. Sir Owen professed himself so charmed with it that he would not go into the house, and Mr. and Mrs. Haye went out to meet him there. After the first greetings were over he turned to Violet. “Miss Haye,” he said, “I have come on purpose to see you. Do you remember our conversation about a fete in the park? You said that you thought it would be very pleasant.” Violet looked up with animation. “Yes, [remember now,” shereplied. “I had forgotten it.” “I have come to say that if it pleases you I will give orders for everything to be prepared for it. What do you say ?” : She looked at him. with a curious expression on her face, while her father and mother glanced at each other. “What do I say?” she echoed. “I have nothing to say, Sir Owen, but that I have no doubt it will be very pleas- ant.” Sir Owen looked disconcerted. After a pause he added: “ But you do not understand. If I give the fete at all it will be in your honor and to please you. Everything in it shall be as you wish—you shall choose your own amuse- ments—indeed, you shall be the queen of it. Now what do you say ?” Mrs. Haye frowned at her daughter. “You must really show some little interest in it, Violet,” she said, “since Sir Owen is so good as to consult you.” — “*Consult’—that is just the right word, Mrs. Haye— thank you. That reminds me,” he added, with a smile, comicbooks.